Sleep Well My Little One ...

I am afraid I have a sad tale tonight.

I mentioned on my blip a couple of days back that I found a small hedgehog on the patio which I assumed had got separated from the nest. It seemed very lively, and ate well and drunk everything I gave it, and I released it back with its mother the same night.

We didn't see it yesterday at all, so I hoped all was well. Alas today it reappeared. So I caught it again, and put it back in a box with a hot water bottle, and some more food. This time I was far more concerned. It was quite lethargic. I immediately rung Fauna Rescue Centre and arranged to meet up and take the poor little mite somewhere he had more chance of survival.

I am afraid this is where things took a turn for the worse. We met the lady who runs the sanctuary, who gave him the once over. She was immediately concerned that the hedgehog smelt bad. A closer inspection found the poor thing had a wound riddled with maggots. I am sorry to say that was that for him. She explained she would have to put him to sleep as there was no saving him, and he would suffer a very agonising death.

I am afraid nature isn't Disney and there isn't always a happy ending. I am glad I took him and that he is no longer suffering. So as the title says ... sleep well my little one.

BUT

It is not all bad news ...

I took another hedgehog to the same sanctuary back in July so I enquired about it. The fantastic news was it was nursed back to health and re-released back into the wild on August 5th! So as sad as today has been there was a little ray of happiness that shone through!